Ivanka Trump sat in for her father at a G-20 meeting, and critics had a fit

July 10, 2017

President Trump has spent the later half of the week rubbing elbows at the G-20 summit, which brings together all the most powerful people in the world.

At the event, which was held in Germany, leaders from the UK, Germany, France, Russia and China were all in attendance. The event even included a highly-anticipated meeting between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. The two men held a closed meeting, which has been the talk of the nation for the past day.

At one meeting in the summit, Trump had to step out, and his daughter Ivanka took his place. The first daughter was on the trip with her husband, Jared Kushner, who also works in the Trump White House. Both Ivanka and Jared are unpaid.

A senior White House official dismissed the idea that the move was inappropriate, telling CNN, “Ivanka was sitting in the back and then briefly joined the main table when the President had to step out, and the president of the World Bank started talking as the topic involved areas such as African development.”

Unsurprisingly, a number of left-leaning pundits found the incident disturbing. CNN contributor Brian Fallon tweeted sarcastically, “I’m sure Republicans would have taken it in stride if Chelsea Clinton was deputized to perform head of state duties.”

New York Times columnist Charles Blow was even franker:

Why the hell is Ivanka Trump sitting in for daddy at G20 meetings?! What are her qualifications? Who voted for her?

— Charles M. Blow (@CharlesMBlow) July 8, 2017

Ivanka Trump, unelected, unqualified, daughter-in-chief, is representing the US at the G20 summit next to May, Xi, Merkel. Photo @LanaLukash pic.twitter.com/fvs0EMy8z7

— Brian Klaas (@brianklaas) July 8, 2017

Jonah Green of Reuters declared, “Today is the day that Ivanka Trump finally became president.” CNN’s Ana Navarro joked on Twitter, “Given choice b/w Pres. Donald or Pres. Ivanka, I’d take her. After all, she’s smart and eloquent and knows how to make champagne popsicles.”